


A Smarter Man

by Pilarcraft



Series: A Smarter Man (The Dragon Prince) [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Dark Magic, Gen, Hurt, I do not know how to tag, Kinda?, sorry about that, zalgo text
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-31 05:16:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17843171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pilarcraft/pseuds/Pilarcraft
Summary: A smarter man would not have done this. It was in no way the best way to say your last farewell to one of your oldest friends. Less so when you take into account said “oldest friend” could probably force you to do whatever he wanted with a mere incantation. It wasn’t only insulting, it was cruel. It went against everything Harrow, King of Katolis stood for.





	A Smarter Man

A smarter man would not have done this. It was in no way the best way to say your last farewell to one of your oldest friends. Less so when you take into account said “oldest friend” could probably force you to do whatever he wanted with a mere incantation. It wasn’t only insulting, _it was cruel_. It went against everything Harrow, King of Katolis stood for.

And yet, once the thrice-damned words leave your throat, there is not much one can do other than to wince and brace for the reaction.

The reaction in question, he at the same time expected and did not expect. He should have known. His Friend the scholar had a history of not taking things seriously and absentmindedly doing what he was told while he was thinking about something –in his opinion- far more important. Just like now.

His Adviser the Mage, on the other hand, was known to stay his ground despite the cruelest and most outspoken –outsigned?- opposition. Even when outvoted or ruled against, he would show his displeasure until the next book caught his eyes.

And so, the result was a very _very_ confusing mixture of the two persona of The High Mage of Katolis.

The submissive old friend, who absentmindedly knelt in front of him, and the unforgiving Dark Mage, who shook in anger, outrage, and –perhaps even- spite.

It was an ugly mix. One he did not wish to see again in his life –no matter how short it might be. He had to say something, _do something_ to perhaps mend the loyalty his friend had certainly lost in him in that moment of-

He paused. _What was that noise?_ “Do you have anything more to say?” He said, still in that damnable _arrogant_ voice he couldn’t get rid of. His Servant said nothing _,_ his unintelligible mumbling more appealing to him than his king’s command.

It appeared, despite his cruelty and perhaps unnecessary actions, he still hadn’t pushed the lesson home.

“If you have something to say”, he commanded, “you will say it Clearly.”

And thus spoke Viren. “As you wish, my king.”

Too late did he notice that in his submissive stance, the other man’s hands where nowhere to be seen.

He only saw an flaming rabbit’s paw falling down onto the land, his friend raised his head to stare at him with unflinching, flaming purple eyes, and an unearthly voice coming out of Lord Viren’s mouth.

_L͓͔̝͔̯͎̬̭͉̈́̎̈̔͛̕͢͠͡͡ĺ̢̢̢͔̺͉̬̖̠̬̏̄̆͞i̷̺̝̖̥̬̩̒̃͆͂͘͠͞t̸̜̙̻͓͇̫͈̅͆̍̓̄̍͑s̶̡̛͕̤̪̠̪̈́͗̍̆͢͠ ḿ̧͚̲̰̞̼̘͐̓̓̀͊̎́͘͢͡i̧̢̘̥͖̤̗̩̹͇͒̽̊͒̋͠͝ḩ̷͎̭̱̜͔̼̤̗͓͋͒̈̒̓͗̔͗̚͠ ḛ̶̢̲̞͍̜͂̑̀̿̌̀͗͘͟ḳ̡̝͙̍̑̓̄̃͢ä̢̩̫̦̱̍̔̄̈͑́̕m̵̢̢͕͉͔̱͍̈́̑̐̿͘͘͘͜͟ͅ_

* * *

A smarter man would probably have considered this a loss and left the King’s chambers after that humiliation. Who knew what he would discove, Perhaps an impudent prince planning on making a daring accusation, or the Moonshadow Assassins. Viren definitely would not.

With his old friend stilled and paralyzed –only temporarily, of course-, he could say his piece and do what he had planned to do in the first place.

“So that is how loyalty to the realm is rewarded” He said. Maybe he could do his part without this unnecessary rant, but nobody had ever accused High Mage Viren of humility. “Seven of this kingdom’s best and brightest bladesmen are standing vigil in this tower, ready to give their lives for you. My own son is holding the last line of defense against the most dangerous assassins in Xadia, ready to give his life for you. My own daughter is enchanting as much as she can to help them have a change, ready to give her sanity and health for you. I am here, willing to _give up my life_ if it will help you live for another day, and that’s how we are rewarded? ‘You are a servant, learn your place’?”

“Were I a lesser man, I would leave you like you are, to be _butchered_ by the elves the way you so count the minutes for. But unlike you, I see what is to come and what will be. War is coming, _Your Esteemed Inimitable Majesty._ The Moonshadow Assassins _will_ return home. One way or another, they _will_ make it clear that Katolis is penetrable, and once they do, we’ll have the Dragons on our heads. _Oh don’t give me that look, you know I am right_ ” he scoffed, as he walked towards the bed, his staff and the basket near and dear, “Katolis will be at war, and it will _decide_ the fate of humans and humanity itself. And humanity needs the Servant King more than it does anyone else in this city. You will survive this debacle, and once we have you restored, you _will_ do your duty. And only then, when the perpetual peace has been restored, will I rethink my association with this esteemed and honored Kingdom.”

_L̢̛̛͎̭̄̏̓̋͑͑̈́͠ͅͅú̶͔̣͂̃̊͟͝ͅͅo̦̦͖͓̪͍͐͒͂͑̏͢͝͞s̨̲̠̗̟̰̙̭̉̒͒̃̂̓͗̈́͐͢ a̮͙͕̣͐̐̍͜ r̵̤̳̗̣̓̌͆̿͋̚͢͞ở̡͙̹̣̻̖͛̔̍͊͐̅͟͜f̷̘͎̬̖͎̺͔̺̘͚̐̑̍͂͑̓̓̚ l̴̡͓̫̜̱̼̥͙̳͎̔̽̎̄̋ȕ̵̮͕̗̦̌̔́̈͠ͅo̡̡̨̢̬̰̣͎͍̓͑͊͐̿̏̒͜͝ṡ̶̡̳̠͇̮̟̠͛̈͑̉̇̇_

_͙͇̪̥͚̺͚͊̓͗͡͠Y̡̬͇͖̰͎͒̎̃̎̓̾͆̊̽̄ͅb͕͖̙͚̬̎̿̈̅͌o̷̫̳̪̙̩̠̳̐̔̾͒͛͂̊͠ͅͅd̟̤͖̳̼́͂͐̊̆͞͞ ȧ̴̙͔̺̯͖̙̽̃̒̀͒͘͘͜ r̟̫͕͚͎̞̜̽̆̂͋̒͒̋͑͜ö̫̝̮̯̭̬͉͇̻̰́̇̾̾̿̃̚f̶͓̳͎̌̒̒̔͜͜͞ Y̴̥̫͚̞͍̥̲̜͂̏̊͗̕͠͠͝b̭͈͍̺̟̼͔͊͊̈́̀̾̈̐͂̚ͅͅǫ̴̨͕͍̟͍̺̏̂̏̌̋͒̃̓͢͟d̵͓͎̳͈̄͛̇̎͊̃͐̓͜_

_̷̗̱̜̗͖͚͔̌͒̃̆̏͑̈́͘͜͠ͅḐ̸̹͔̹̹̑̑͗͆͡͠ͅỏ̷͈͍̼͈͗̊͘͜͞ǫ̧̺͍̫̫͍͖̳̠͒̉̈̈̂͋l̵̢̨̛̟̩̊̎̓̾͂̒ͅb̗͉͕͚̤͊͌͌̾̊̀͘͢͝͝ͅ r̡̭̠̺̝̜̗̔̉̅̓͂̇̈͛̿ơ̧̲̟͍̗̲̈̐̅f͓̩̰̳̞̞͔̣̱͕͒͂͆̍̇̄̐̊͋ Ḑ̸͚̠͎̯̹̜̐͛̌͗̐͟ọ̵͎̯͚͎̭̼͚̈́͂͒͗͢͟͞ǫ̧̨̟̱̟̐̓͑̄̑̊̐̓͌͡l̸̛͙͖̫̞͒͜͝b̸̘͎̰͈̭̹͔̄͆̈́̐͂̃͂͛̍͟͜_

* * *

_A smarter man wouldn’t be here,_ Callum thought as he was grabbed by two of the men who had sworn an oath to Protect the Crown its kin. A smarter man would definitely had played his cards before he could be punished for an uncommitted crime. The older man, clearly unhinged out of whatever had happened in his _Step-_ Father’s chambers, looked at him with a sneer.

Of course, that was Lord Viren’s normal impression where the Young Prince was involved, but this time was different. His expression was surprisingly bitter. This sneer came from emotional distress, rather than a sense of self-importance. “ _Scream_ ” the deranged mage said.

_E̴͚͈͓̖̖̰͋͊͆̄͋͛͛̊̚c̨̻̘͙̭̖̤͍̔̌͛̿͜ḭ̢̡̛̮͔͔͊̓̆̆̿̏̏̓͗͟͜͟o̴̮̲̳̼̻͖̓͂̎̎̀͡v̵̧̭̫͈̩͓͚͙̉̄̕̕͘̕͡ e̵̛̦̣̪̜̘̞̳̍͐̿̽͘͜͝͡ͅh̪̠͕̤͎̄̍̂̋̕̕t̩͙̪̮͖̩͚̉̆̓̌͊̈͛̚͞ l̨̛͓͙̜̼͓̈́͆̂̔̐͐ã̡̼̰͍̺̝̦͙̮̈́͋̏͛͆̋̿ē̢̝̞̖̊̃̓̒͆̓͢͞͞t̛͙̦̳̬̣̜͍̯̅͋̿͋̎͆́͠ş̛̭̹̗̱̦͙̹̏̒͑͊̽̓͜_

Callum tried to. He certainly did his best. But the only thing leaving his throat was a poor whisper, one not even he could hear. “Now, _Young Prince_ , I believe it is long past the time we had a conversation, the two of us.”

 _I certainly don’t believe so_. He thought, for he could not say it. His expression and stance though, probably gave it away.

Once the older Mage had brought them into another room and closed the door, it became obvious this was not going to go the way he had expected it to.

“You are wise for your age, Prince Callum” a much politer Viren commented, “but lack the insight that is the byproduct of ageing. Don’t worry. I only want to talk. Only for a few minutes, the two of us. As a show of goodwill…” he opened the lid of the jar that held Callum’s… _voice?_... and Callum breathed again.

And immediately began to cough.

“You talk of the Dragon’s Egg. Do you know what it is?”

 _“It is a Child! That needs its mother!_ ”

The old man, however, nodded in appreciation. “That is correct.” He commented. _What?_

“The Egg holds the future King of Storm Dragons. Do you know what a Dragon King is? You probably still remember the last one’s namesakes from a few months ago” he said offhandedly.

He was correct. No matter how much Callum wanted to pretend it was only Ezran who was scared of thunder, it terrified him too. “Well, the Egg of the Dragon Prince, in addition to being a superb ingredient in any number of rituals and the future King of Dragons, is also an insurance that its mother will not kill us for merely existing. It is what insures the perpetual peace we enjoy… _enjoyed_ , until today. What do you think will happen when we no longer have that insurance?”

Before Callum could think of something to answer the condescending old man with, he felt a chill. From the looks of it, so did Viren. “ _Oh_. They are here.” He sighed. “Run along now boy. You do not want to be here to see this.”

And as Viren of Katolis turned to open the door, the much younger, unimpressive lad suddenly came back to reality. His mind caught up with the sheer absurdity of the latest few minutes of his life, and the unmistaken sounds of war cries and of blade clashing blade hinted him of what was about to come. What he _thought_ was about to come.

“King Harrow?”

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about the Zalgo text. And the kinda poor quality of this. I wrote it in like, 30 minutes after running on 7 hours of sleep for two days. Hopefully the next installments of this will be of higher quality. (Next up, Amaya and Viren's confrontation. Or Claudia and some explanation on how Magic Works in this continuity. Maybe both.)


End file.
